I felt it was awful news. Ritchie - imo - is awful, just awful. All style but no substance or craft. Sherlock Holmes had all the flashy directorial touches Ritchie uses as his crutch, but was saddled with a muddled script and a leaden pace. And Downey just played Downey.

But you're right...it may mean the studio bigwigs will shoehorn Downey in there to repeat the Holmes formula. Downey can be good...very good...but this flip attitude all wisecracks style doesn't work for every character

Jared Harris, who played Lane Pryce on AMC's Mad Men, has joined Guy Ritchie’s spy film The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

our editor recommends Hugh Grant Joins 'Man from U.N.C.L.E.' (Exclusive)Henry Cavill in Talks to Replace Tom Cruise in 'Man from U.N.C.L.E.'Warner Bros. announced that its big-screen take on the classic 1960s spy TV series will big production on Sept. 9, shooting in England, with location filming also in Italy, Rome and Naples.

The film follows special agents Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer), who work for the mysterious United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.). Alicia Vikander also stars as the female lead in the pic, while Hugh Grant has a supporting role.

Ritchie is directing and co-wrote the script with Lionel Wigram. Ritchie and Wigram also are producing under their new production shingle, which has a first-look deal with Warner Bros. John Davis (Chronicle) and Steve Clark-Hall (RocknRolla) are also producing while David Dobkin is executive producing.

English actor Harris previously worked with Ritchie on Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, in which he starred as Professor James Moriarty. His recent film work includes a role in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and the upcoming Pompeii.

I knew his Dad was a director who handed him a silver spoon and a career on a plate, but who was his Uncle, Steven Spielberg? Wouldnt be surprised, he had to have had a help up given the lack of talent.

Principal photography will begin on September 9 on Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." The film is the first to be made under filmmaker Guy Ritchie's and producer Lionel Wigram's new production shingle, Ritchie/Wigram Productions, which has a first-look deal with Warner Bros. Having successfully re-imagined the classic detective Sherlock Holmes in two hit films, the pair now bring their fresh take on the hugely popular 1960s television series by bringing super spies Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin to the big screen.

Henry Cavill ("Man of Steel") stars as Napoleon Solo opposite Armie Hammer ("The Social Network") as Illya Kuryakin, alongside stars Alicia Vikander ("Anna Karenina"), Elizabeth Debicki ("The Great Gatsby"), Jared Harris ("Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows"), and Hugh Grant ("Cloud Atlas") as Waverly. "Guy and I have long loved these characters, and wanted to start from scratch with our own take and create a film steeped in the 1960s for today's audiences," said Wigram. "We are particularly happy about our cast, who all bring something special to the film. Henry, Armie, Alicia and Elizabeth are among the best and most exciting actors of the next generation. In addition, we are thrilled to be working with Hugh Grant, who we have known and been fans of for many years, and Jared Harris, who did such a great job for us as Moriarty."

Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." centers on CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin. Forced to put aside longstanding hostilities, the two team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization, which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo's only lead is the daughter of a vanished German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, and they must race against time to find him and prevent a worldwide catastrophe. The screenplay is written by Ritchie and Wigram, who also serve as producers. John Davis ("Chronicle") and Steve Clark-Hall ("RocknRolla," the "Sherlock Holmes" films) are also producing. David Dobkin is executive producer.

Ritchie's behind-the-scenes creative team includes two-time Oscar®-nominated director of photography John Mathieson ("Gladiator"), production designer Oliver Scholl ("Jumper"), editor James Herbert (the "Sherlock Holmes" films), Oscar®-nominated costume designer Joanna Johnston ("Lincoln") and Oscar®-winning key makeup and hair designer Sarah Monzani ("Quest for Fire," upcoming "Edge of Tomorrow"). Filming will take place in England, with location filming also in Italy, in Rome and Naples. A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

I have serious doubts this is going to turn out well, but for its own sake, I hope they use Goldsmith's theme in some form -- and I'm talking main titles! If not, I'm not interested, and it was a favorite show in my childhood and I bought the boxset on DVD.